| Boasting millions of members around the world, Flickr is a vast online photo-sharing entity with a social flavour that makes it instantly addictive. Gushy reviews of the site abound, from the Village Voice to Salon.com to the Wall Street Journal, people can’t get enough. After being purchased by Yahoo in 2005, it remains one of the most prolific and popular websites.
Merging professional photographers, amateurs and anyone with access to a digital camera or scanner, it provides a glimpse into far-flung places as well as our own backyards. With niche groups dedicated to everything from floral arranging to rugby to absurdist discussions, there is something for everyone. The design is sleek and efficient with photos being the belle of the ball. Simple uploading and batch organizing also make it a cinch to use, leaving more time for checking out group activity and contacts’ latest photo offerings. Tagging each photo can be as straightforward as entering the name of the person in a portrait, or for some enthusiasts, it’s a forum for poetry or thinly-veiled personal messages. Tags also pop up in Google, so those using the site as a portfolio piece often use their full names or website addresses.
On a darker note, those with a taste for the erotic have been known to lurk around, harassing other members of the site. That said, blocking any unwanted user is as easy as a mouse click. Social activity thrives and Flickr meet-ups have sprung up around the globe. In Calgary alone, there are 421 groups and the Calgary Flickrmeets group gathers monthly and boasts 160 members. From Rome to Hong Kong to San Francisco, clusters of Flickrbuddies meet in restaurants and bars and search the sights for outstanding photo-ops.
After signing up on the recommendation of a friend, assuming the handle Unbound67, the social aspect soon became my primary focus. Anyone so inclined can comment on photos and one of my first was a Scottish professor with the playful name ArchiePix. After some amusing banter, I was invited to a group that celebrated all things random. The discussion topics ranged from lunch choices, to favourite music, to celebrity bashing. The group grew from a few members to close to 150 in a matter of months. Before long, friendships blossomed in the often absurd threads and I soon began exchanging e-mails and instant messages with other members of the group. Talk of meet-ups soon followed.
On a recent trip to New York, I had the opportunity to finally meet some of the characters I had been conversing with over the past year.
What makes these meetings so organic is the common interest of photography. In many ways, virtual friends take on personal significance due to the often intimate nature of posted photos. It was no surprise then that I felt instantly at ease with the small but boisterous group of people I met in Manhattan. OKP, a professor from Philadelphia and I spent a giggle-filled afternoon on the streets of midtown Manhattan, at one point being politely asked to refrain from photographing the lobby of Random House. Elated but fatigued from roaming around, we splurged on lavishly priced cocktails at the famed Algonquin Hotel.
Later on, flush with drinks, we met up with Tampen, the New York correspondent for the Sunday Times and TrixieBedlam, a copy editor, at her comfortable Lower East Side apartment before heading to a nearby bistro. The camera gear at the table alone could probably pay my rent for a year, but lens envy aside, the conversation flowed easily along with the sangria. The clicking of SLR cameras with impressive flash units punctuated the dinner conversation and other diners stared openly in our direction. After dinner, a walk through the gritty streets yielded a bounty of photo opportunities. From walls of impressive graffiti art, to dumpsters, to eye popping art installations, it was a visual smorgasbord.
Two days later, I had the chance to toss back a few beers and shoot the breeze with Flickrite BlaiseK, a writer and web designer living in Brooklyn. After filling our gullets with spicy chicken wings and pulled pork sandwiches, we strolled the rainy streets of Park Slope, taking turns sipping from a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. In a surreal moment, a transport truck filled with live chickens hurtled by, causing fits of hysterical laughter and a mad rush to capture the moment.
On the subway back to Manhattan, I snapped a few pics of the stark fluorescent lights and enjoyed the buzz of the booze and pulse of the city. Reflecting on the experience and Flickr, I was reminded of TrixieBedlam’s late night remark over a glass of stellar Pinot Noir: "This is life. Take my picture." |
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